Direction indicator



Mafch 22, 1927( R. K. PERSHAD DIRECTION TNDICATOR Filed Dec. 2, 1924 Rqjaff I/eni'of fam Perscrd fe' l vthe signal? so that the indication Patented Mer. 22, 1927.

narran armas;

RAJAKARAN Paneel-in, or HYDERABAD, Deccan, INDIA.,

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Application inea necembere; 1924; seriarivo. 753,490, and im S This. invention relatesto direction signal ling meansl for motor cars and like vehicles'.v

Its object. is totA prevent; some o the; many4 accidentsvvhich occur in large citiesv due to the daily increasing motor traaiic...

At. present, the driver of acar to stretch outhishand when he comes toA cross-1y side to Which hiscar is sitiorr` thusrsaving` the driver `the trouble of:

stretchinglontlhis hand,` and leavingrlhim. free tofA use bothlhisi hands on the steering wheel.

When an accident occurs, the motorist naturally:Wi:thdravvs;` hisxhand, butaccording to. thisinvention the signal remains'. inhthey saine'` position; thus 1 affording clear evidence thats-the proper: direction Wasrindicatedl.

The.1antocar signal is` fixed. in a conven ientpositionAV so as to: be visible both7- from the front and the rear of thecar.

'lihei use off helsignalfwilflbringabout the introduction oiia uniform system/ofregulaf tiem: ati present.` thel `rules differ from place to place thus causinga good. deal ofconfue sion7 ,andi this can `be removed only by adoptingacommon'setof rules: l

crate; andzait is; believed, that by its use alarga number ot" accidents will be prevented:

-Theimecha'nisrn may be of very simple charactersolthatf there are scarcely any parts.

' "to:getoutoforder, which cannotl bef repaired the steering Wheel-Landis Withinl convenient rea'chlot thedrivers-hand. n M

small electriclampwmay he attachedto l of the army may be visibleat nigllt. l Y l l The device thus forms la (decided improvement over thel present method;` as the hand of ythe driver even ifstretched out'in the night' will berpractically invisible .inl the dark; f

The sgnalfarmmayconveniently be paint edin a brighter colour than that of the body of' the car, so that it `may be vconspicuously visible ati alltime's. f i l The device being `merely a meclianical con` trivance it isA held that `it Will.v give more promptand effective service than a similar one Worked by electricity or some other i, 'naar British india september 2319244.;

Careuis taken. to `give thewsignal smart',V l

iinish and its position on the mudguardigives t it the appearance oi a mascot..

The; skeletonsector be; linedr plush in order to'j avoid the slightestinoisefdue; tothe vibration when the car is" in motion;

The apparatus will' peferablybe constructed to be as light Wheelsz is enough toI keep. thenrin vvvorking zcondition. ,i It isiamater' or' experience s thatfthes` driver Vhand out before making arturn; andtrnanyfacs l acidents have happened owing to; -`this.

inf, l practice very often! does.-l noti stretc omission.` The apparatusiheredescrihedislso as possible andv thefpartssllt may for thisl purpose ,'altnniniuin Whioli give: them rigidity Without making them too pvveightyzl y l occasional lubrication of thlegioovedit be made tot steel and" the necessaryfz Aeasy to operate. that thedriver will try, 'om every occasion to make. use.` of` itqlheq-vvill? `alvvays'tale it asa pleasureto 'move the lever to the correct side While the ycanl` is rumninrgf When the car is turning to the right; there are no convenient means` of indicating the` driver is alone f in they car-f.` i/Vitlr apparatus according to this/invention .thisf canbeeasilyb accomplished by turning the arm through` l l, say/:1700; to the right; l l

The device islquite simple and easy tofo`pl direction by stretching" the handout'if the Tlieldriveron many occasions 'finds itA in j convenient to steer with one handan'd toy l stretch l out his other hand' for indicating the directio'nvvhil'e takinga tur-n. It hasaalsol been noticed that alt such-'- times heJ shovv'slliis-` hands for a moment only and then resumes the usel oboth the hands for steering tllelvvlieelf.-

It very often happens,lthat when there isvno` policeman onfthespot', the 'driver' takes-the turning; .Without making new device will it is' believed' put an endto `all these andi similar `troubles and thus prevent a large number'of accidents-on the road;

The invention comprises apparatus for in*- dicatrng'the-`d1`rect1on a motor car orother vehicle is *about to turn,y consisting' 'of ifni dicatlng arm mountedin a consplcuousJ-fposltion to one side ofthefveliicleybut preferably upon the fronti1nud-guardgand adapted to be operated by lever or equivalent iixd toithe steering pillar'of-'the cart orf in other con-- veni'ent position radjacent to thefsteering Hal.

Wheel, characterized` bythe indicator armv having threeiixed positions `to indicateturi'lfing to the right, keeping straight on or turning to the left, with or without a fourth fixed position intermediate between the last two to indicate slowing down.

The indicating arm may have mounted on it or operating in conjunction therewith an electric light adapted to give a visual signal at night.

The apparatus may according to this invention have a hollow indicating arm with a light fixed therein, with arrow or other distinctively shaped window or windows adapted` to be lighted up at night by said light, said indication preferably being visible both from the front and the back.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which are only given however as an indication of one manner in which the more important parts of the indicating device may be constructed.

In these drawings Figure 1, is a view of.

one shape the indicator arm may take, and

Figure 2-is a view of a control lever and sector adapted to be clamped, for example, to the steering pillar of a car under the steering wheel.

In these drawings the indicating arm 1, may have a normal position, S pointing straight upwards to indicate the car is travelling straight forward, and two other fixed temporary positions tothe right as shown at R or to the left as shown at L, to indicate the car drivers intention is to turn to the right or left respectively.

The indicating arm 1, may swing through any convenient arc of a circle to these positions.

An intermediate position, for example midway between S and L, may or may not be introduced to indicate slowing down.

The arm 1 is secured to a shaft 2, which is journaled in a stand 3. This stand is preferably of ornamental design, and is mounted on a support 4 and a base 5. The base may be xed in any convenient position on the car.

The preferable position is to fix it on the front mud-guard as indicated in Figure 1, wherein the base 5 is secured by bolts G, (5 to the mud-guard 7 To operate the indicator arm l, the pivot shaft 2, has a bevel gear 8 fixed thereto, which is rotated by a bevel gear transverse 9 carried on a shaft 10. This shaft is mounted in bea-rings 11 and 12. A crank 13 is fitted to the squared end 14 of this shaft and is operated by a connecting rod 15 from the control sector on the steering pillar.

'Io indicate the direction of travel at night the indicator arm 1, may be made hollow and have a slit or window made therein with an electric bulb inside to light up the window. Preferably the window or slit will show bot-h to the front and the back. Preferscope of the same.

cator might be fixed to theside of the car dicator arm 1 will place one or other of the said lamps in circuit.

The indicating arm 1 may be worked from a control sector 19 fixed, for example, to the steering pillar 29. rIhe sector may have three fixed position notches 20, 21, 22' therein corresponding to the three main working positions R, S or L of the indicator arm.

A fourth notch 222L may be provided to indicate slowing down, if desired.

The rod 23 by which indicator arm 1 is actuated operates the same by rotation. This rod 23 is fixed in suitable bearings and is rotated by moving the cranked end or lever 24.

The cranked end or lever 24 carries a catch box 25 having a catch knob 26 operated by i a spring 27 which normally holds the catch 28m one or other of the three notches 20,21 or 22.

Suitable transmission cranks and rods may .connect the parts 23 vand 15. These need no description. If preferred a Bowden wire may be introduced for this purpose, or any convenient means may be used for connecting the control lever 24 tothe indicator arm 1.

It will of course be understood that the invention is not restricted to the embodiments described and illustrated, but that reasonable modifications come within the For example, the indiinstead of on the mud-guard. The exact shape is immaterial and the provision of a neat, artistic device, for example representing a female figure, may exercisethe ingenuity of the manufacturer. A red light may be shown when the car is turning to the left (which is the dangerous turn across the line of traffic) ,and a green light when it is about to turn to the right (a comparative safe turn). Both a turning to the left or a slowing down of the speed of the car might be indicated by the signal to the left.

The slowing downmight be indicated by an intermediate position between straight ahead and turn rto left.

rIhe light indication for night work which light may be either electric or acety ene or other light, may be worked in an convenient manner. In the other han vit is quite possible to indicate slowing down by a conventional movement of the indicator arm for example by moving the arm to and fro and then bringing it back to its vertical position.

It is known with heavy motor lorries and with motor buses of large size to use an in- Y is intended t turn to the side.

dicating arm which can be i. projected out- Wardstfrom the side of the vehicle when it This known device gives only one indicationy Whereas according to this invention an` indication may be given by using an arm having three or more positions to give much more information than has hitherto been conveyed. Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to vbe performed, I declare that what I claim is An indicating device for an automobile, comprising a base adapted to the mounting on the front fender of the automobile, a support on said base, a stand mounted upon the upper end of said support, a shaftjoul naled in said stand, an indicating arm on one -end of said shaft adaptedv ,to swingito the right and to theleft to indicate the versely of said fenderand at right angles to the. shaft carrying the indicating .arm,

second shaft for engagement With said first mentioned bevelgear, bearings on said stand for rotatably supporting said second*4 shaft,

vthe said second shaft projecting beyond one of said. bearings and the stand, a crank arm mounted upon the projecting end of said shaft, and actuating means connected `to said crank arm to move the indicating arm into the desired position, the said actuating means being located adjacent to the steering shaft of the automobile. t l

In testimony whereof I Vhereto aiix my signature this 31st day of October, 19241.` RAJA KARAN PERSHAD.

`V a second vbevel gear located centrally of said` 

